The best DVD storage solutions

Written by lola fredericks

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Having too many DVDs can be overwhelming. (Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images)

After years of collecting DVDs, it's difficult to know what to do with all of those discs. Having an extensive DVD library can provide you and your family with hours of exciting entertainment, but all of those discs, and the often clunky packages that they come in, can take up a lot of space. Implement a storage solution that will work for your lifestyle and home.

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Built-in Shelving

One solution is to install shelving. There are many ways to do this, and it can be a fun home-improvement project if you like to work with your hands. You will need plywood, an electric screw driver, joints to support the shelves and screws. Since plywood is not available in a variety of colours, buy paint for more attractive shelving. Decide on a colour based on the colours in the space where you are building the shelf. The beauty of built-in shelving is that you can personalise and tailor your shelves to your specific spatial needs. Buy supplies for this project from a store like Home Depot. Visit Homedepot.com or Thisoldhouse.com for detailed instructions on how to build shelves.

Pre-made Shelves

If you don't have time to build your own shelves, buy some pre-made ones. While this might be more expensive, it requires significantly less time and labour. There are many types of shelving units available on the market. Ikea, for example, sells shelves that vary in style and price. In most cases, Ikea shelves require assembly, but all of the parts are included in the package, along with instructions. If you just want something that requires no assembly or additional work, retailers such as Ethan Allen have a wide variety of shelves available.

DVD Binders

If you are not particularly attached to the cases that your DVDs came in, binders can help you save a lot of space. They have many pages that each contain several compartments for DVDs. In some cases, there is space to put the booklet that might have come with the DVD package. You can often store around 100 DVDs in one binder. They are also portable if you want to take your DVD collection with you on vacation.

DVD Alternatives

If you really want to minimise the amount of material in your space, but still maintain a thriving movie collection, one option is to go digital. This means converting your movies to a digital format, storing them on a hard drive and throwing out all of the DVDs and packaging. Although this might seem extreme, it can save a lot of space. Start by downloading DVD ripping software such as Magic DVD Ripper. This type of software allows you to convert directly to multiple formats such as Mpeg-4, WMV and Xvid. Converting to a digital format allows you to watch movies on a device like an iPod or iPad. If you rip a movie that you bought on DVD, it is illegal to distribute the file, so keep it within your household. You can also purchase movies in a digital format from sellers such as Apple.